The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Efficient and organized use of space is very desirable, particularly with respect to storage or utility space in businesses, residential homes and apartments. From appliances having space-saving designs (e.g., washer and drawer stacked on top of one another) to storage organizer units (e.g., wall-mounted wire shelving kits), manufacturers continue to develop new designs to increase use of space, while maintaining ease in access and user convenience.
With respect to the design of storage units, such as closet storage units for residential use, many different options are available including, for example, different sizes and shapes of shelves, different attachment and mounting members (e.g., brackets and standards, etc.) and different storage members (e.g., wire baskets, shoe stands, tie/belt racks, etc.). Ease in accessing stored items such as clothing is typically important. Further, flexibility in design and increasing use of available space is likewise typically important.
Wall-mounted standards are used in connection with brackets for constructing storage systems in which shelves are supported on top of the brackets. These systems allow for connection of the brackets to different portions (e.g., slots, etc.) of the standards to allow for flexibility in the vertical positioning of shelves supported by the brackets. Typically, ventilated shelving or other types of shelving (e.g., wooden shelves, etc.) are supported above and on the brackets to maintain the shelves in a generally horizontal orientation for storage of items thereon.
Using known standards and brackets, flexibility in storage design and use of storage space is typically limited to shelving attached and supported by the brackets. In particular, items may be stored on the shelves supported by the brackets, hung from the wires (e.g., longitudinally extending support wires) of the shelves or hung from a hang rod attached to the shelves. However, use of the storage area below the shelves supported by the brackets is limited, and if used, often difficult to access and/or difficult to move items stored, and in particular hung thereunder. Thus, although known standards and brackets allow for changing the vertical positioning of shelves, use of the storage space is often not maximized or efficiently used, and it may be difficult to access certain items stored under or next to the shelves. Further, additional units, for example, stand alone basket units often have to be used, for example, on the floor under the lowest shelf, to provide more efficient use of the space. This can add cost to the storage units, and these basket units are often difficult to install because of the amount of available space and the size of the particular basket unit.